Press any key on your keyboard. It lights up above in the color of its finger, and the hands show the reach.
What are the home row keys?
The home row is the middle row of letters on the keyboard. Eight of its keys are where your fingers rest between presses: A S D F for the left hand and J K L ; for the right. Both thumbs rest on the space bar.
| Finger | Left hand rests on | Right hand rests on |
|---|---|---|
| Pointer | F | J |
| Middle | D | K |
| Ring | S | L |
| Pinky | A | ; |
| Thumb | Space bar | |
F and J each have a small bump. Feel for the bumps with your pointer fingers and the other fingers land in the right place without looking. That is where the name Bumpy Keys comes from.
Which finger types each key?
Each finger looks after the keys above and below its home key. The pointers also cover the two middle columns.
| Finger | Left hand keys | Right hand keys |
|---|---|---|
| Pinky | Q A Z and 1 | P ; / and 0 |
| Ring | W S X and 2 | O L . and 9 |
| Middle | E D and 3 | I K , and 8 |
| Pointer | R F V, T G B, C, and 4 5 | U J M, Y H N, and 6 7 |
One choice to know about: many charts give C to the left middle finger. Bumpy Keys starts with the left pointer because it is a more comfortable reach for small hands. A grown-up can switch it in the game's settings.
Practice the home row
Type the lit key. Every key in these laps is on the home row.
Ten finger typing
Typing with all ten fingers starts here. Eight fingers rest on the home keys and the two thumbs share the space bar, and each finger only ever presses its own keys. The chart above shows which keys belong to which finger: press any key to see.
Why learn the home row first?
- Fingers always know where they are. Every reach starts and ends at the same place.
- Eyes can stay on the screen. With the bumps under your pointers, there is no need to look down.
- The other rows build on it. The top and bottom rows are each one reach from home.
The Bumpy Keys lessons follow that order: F and J first, then D and K, S and L, A, and G and H, before any reach to another row. See all 100 lessons, or print the hand poster for the wall. For the rest of the keyboard, the rows, Shift and why the letters are not in ABC order, read the keyboard for kids.
Questions
What is ASDF JKL;?
It is the eight home keys read from left to right: A, S, D and F under the left hand, and J, K, L and the semicolon under the right.
Why do F and J have bumps?
So your pointer fingers can find them by feel. Once the pointers are home, the other fingers line up beside them.
Which finger presses the space bar?
A thumb. Both thumbs rest on the space bar, and either one can press it.
Do young children need to use every finger right away?
No. Start with the two pointers on F and J and add a finger at a time. That is how the first lessons in the game go.
More free typing tools
Typing race
Every right key moves your racer.
Type the alphabet
How fast can you type A to Z?
Typing test
Words a minute and keys right, in one minute.
Typing practice
Short laps by skill, from the home row to sentences.
Typing lessons
Try the first three lessons, see all 100.